


What’s Old is New Again

by Asylos



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, adjusting to a new body
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 09:31:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16405835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asylos/pseuds/Asylos
Summary: An exchange fill for Ellison in the Hub of Heroism discord exchange.Prompt: Rhys and Jack, either non-romantic or romantic. Maybe something about Jack getting a body and having to acclimate to having a physical manifestation?





	What’s Old is New Again

The relative stillness was strange. That was just the first strange thing. He’d gotten so used to the constant flux of being in someone else’s mind. Even if there weren’t active thoughts or talking there was always some sensory input coming in that he’d had no control over.   
Now he could just close his eyes and the world went away. It was a level of control that almost made him giddy to have back. Eyes open, white wall, window, stars, motion. Eyes closed, blackness, nothing, peace. Well, somewhat peace. There was this incessant beeping that was really starting to get on his nerves. 

He let out a deep sigh. “If that noise doesn’t stop by the time I finish speaking someone is going out the closest airlock and I really don’t care who at this point.” Silence filled the room. “Thank you.”

“Uhh.. Handsome Jack sir-“

“Shhhhh. Are you people always this loud?”

“They’re not loud Jack, you’re just not used to having your own ears without a built in volume control.”

Jack opened his eyes slowly, “Rhysie. You’re a sight for sore eyes. Here to break me out?”

Rhys smiled, “Sure am. Let’s get you home.” He gestured to the wheelchair he had pushed next to the bed. Jack shook his head. “I insist on pampering the president.” He leaned in, whispering, “You can try out the new legs in private. I know you don’t want to risk falling over in front of these people.” 

Jack grumbled under his breath but nodded. “Well if you insist, who am  
I to deny my biggest fan such a pleasure.”

—

“Jack? What’s wrong?”

“It’s too quiet without your constant brain chatter. What are you doing?”

“Trying to get my apartment back together. Looks like Vasquez trashed the place after he found out Vaughn and I swiped his deal. Even the furniture is broken.”

“You can crash on the couch here until you get some new stuff.”

“Are you sure? Not worried about sharing space with a crazed fan?”

“I’ve been in your half empty brain for weeks, I think I know all you’re capable of, pumpkin, and it’s not much.”

“Gee thanks. I’m just going to pretend you said something nice instead of being a complete asshole.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night. So are you coming back now?”

Rhys sighed. “Yeah, this is kind of a lost cause at this point. Are you hungry? I can pick something up from the Hub on the way.”

“Hungry? Huh. That could be something.” Jack wondered if that was contributing to his irritation with everything in existence. He’d forgotten about eating. He grabbed one of the granola bars Rhys had left on the side table and tore it open. “Yeah. Do that. Chop chop, princess. Don’t got all day to wait around for you.”

“Actually, you do,” Rhys chuckled, ending the call. 

—

Rhys frowned when he entered Jack’s penthouse to find the man hadn’t moved the entire time he’d been gone. The snack and drink were gone at least, but the packaging were still in the man’s hands so that had clearly just happened. He scolded himself for leaving the CEO alone so soon, even if the man had insisted he was fine. 

He set the bag of take out down in the bed and Jack immediately started to pick through it. “Chicken fingers and fries? Where’s the juicy red steak fit for a king to celebrate my return?”

“Another time. I’m in the mood for lazy finger food,” Rhys said. “The whole fork and knife thing just seems like more coordination than I feel like dealing with right now. Been getting some weird lag from my arm. Side effects from the transfer maybe.”

“That’s a good point. Don’t want you dropping food all over the bed.”

“The bed?” Rhysie raised an eyebrow. “Don’t want to go over to the table?”

“Nah, I’m good right here. These flesh bodies aren’t very efficient. No point wasting energy I don’t need to.”

“You’re going to have to walk at some point, Jack.”

“You don’t want to carry your hero around full time? The pay would be good.”

“Even if I could physically lug you around, no. How would that look to your adoring fans? Besides, I think I have much more useful skills to offer the company.”

“Well make yourself useful now and put something interesting on the stupid tv. They sure didn’t improve that while I was gone.” He pulled a chicken finger from the styrofoam container, dropping it straight away. He blew on his fingers. “Geeze that’s hot.”

“Fresh made and straight up the executive elevator, so it better be,” Rhys said. He grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge and passed it over for Jack to hold his fingers to.

“Thanks. It better be good after all this,” he grumbled. 

“It will be. Much better than the granola bar at least. And there’s always dessert, if you feel up to going for ice cream.”

—

“It really is the little things that are most irritating.”

“Hrm?” Rhys said, blinking his eyes open. “Sorry, guess I dozed off.”

“I noticed,” Jack chuckled. “You’ve been drooling on my arm, which is what’s led to this predicament. I can’t reach the remote.” 

Rhys sat up quickly, face flush with embarrassment. “Sorry!”

Jack leaned over, grabbed the remote, and changed the channel. “Before, being in the system, I wouldn’t have even had to think about it. Don’t like what’s on, it would just change. But now? I need a stupid remote to get rid of the damn infomercials.” He sighed.

“You could look into some cybernetics if changing the channel faster is really a big thing,” Rhys said, grinning. “They can be pretty handy.”

“Nah, I’m good. There is one thing I couldn’t do without the new body though,” Jack said thoughtfully. 

“What’s that?”

He reached out, grabbing Rhys’ chin gently to turn his head, and kissed him. “That. That’s hard to do without one.”

Rhys pulled away, blushing. “Jack, are you sure about this? It’s not just some weird Stockholm syndrome from being stuck in my brain?”

“Are you really questioning the great Handsome Jack?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Keep it up. It’s one of your good qualities. Makes up for not carrying me around.”


End file.
